Happy Lily Day!
by mische
Summary: What’s so special about April twenty—seventh? Well, according to a certain James Potter, it’s Lily Day! [One shot]


**Happy Lily Day!**

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it.

**A/N:** Don't know where this little idea came from! Just sort of spilled from my mind. And even I'm not sure about Lily and James' relationship in this piece. It's kind of odd, in the gray areas. Well, hope you enjoy this little piece!

* * *

"_What?_"

The feathery wisps of white streaked across the sky in the enchanted ceiling, allowing the sunlight to spill generously onto the students in the Great Hall. Smells of crispy toast and salty bacon and juicy sausage wafted through the morning air. The students chattered away, helping themselves to breakfast and finishing some assignments at the last minute.

"Happy Lily Day!" James Potter repeated enthusiastically, half-laughing. When the redheaded girl he was addressing just stared up at him from her Potions textbook in a sort of pleased shock, he sighed exasperatedly, as if she had just asked him how to perform a levitation charm for the millionth time. And that was saying a lot, considering Lily Evans was the top charms student in her year.

"What's Lily Day?" Marlene McKinnon piped up amusedly from the other side of Lily.

The tall, lanky boy stared at Marlene in false shock, clapping a hand over his wide mouth, eyes widening. "What's Lily Day? _What's Lily Day?_ Why, only the most important day of the entire year!" Here, he paused in thought. "Well, besides Christmas, I guess. And…"

Lily arched an eyebrow. Marlene let out a burst of laughter. James looked a bit defeated at their reactions.

"Alright, alright. So I made it up," he conceded. He plopped down beside Lily and grabbed a hot breakfast roll, stuffing half of it in his mouth.

"Made what up?" Dorcas Meadows inquired as she slid into the seat across from Lily. "Hey, you guys," she greeted as an afterthought.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Marlene replied.

"Hey Dorcas," Lily grinned at her late friend.

"Lily Day!" James exclaimed, turning to the just-arrived blonde. "Happy Lily Day, Dorcas!"

"Er, same for you?" she returned, shooting a bewildered expression at her two friends.

"Anyways," James continued, after finishing his roll in two bites. "Lily Day is a day celebrating, well, Lily, of course."

"But it's not even her birthday," Marlene pointed out, spreading some jam on her toast.

"Oh, I know."

"You would," Lily muttered, rolling her eyes and biting back what seemed to be a smile.

"It's _better_," he insisted. "Well, except everyone knows when it's your birthday so you get presents and cakes and all, but…er, well, Lily Day is more of _honoring_ Lily."

Dorcas snorted. "Like how people make holidays honoring people after they're dead?"

"Er, well," James stuttered. "Lily—er, Lily's just so great that she can be honored while she's still _alive_." He looked triumphant at his recovery and heaped some scrambled eggs onto his platter in a sort of celebratory manner.

"Why today?" Lily questioned. "What's so special about…April twenty-seventh?"

James blinked twice for a second, pausing in mid-chew. He shrugged, then swallowed. "Not quite sure myself. I just woke up and _knew_, you know?"

Dorcas threw James a curious glance as she poured some milk over her cornflakes, while Lily and Marlene eyed him peculiarly. The latter looked like she was struggling with a fit of laughter. The fit of laughter won.

"It was a gut feeling," he went on, needing to defend himself from the silliness of the claim. "Like when you wake up and know it's your birthday, or the last day of classes, or Christmas, or…you know, that feeling!"

"Of course," Lily agreed nonchalantly, nodding her head and turning back to the thick book in her lap. A fleeting expression of disappointment swept across James' face.

"Well," he rose abruptly. "I'll just, er, leave you to your studying, then. Not like you need it," he added. Before turning away, he paused, as if unsure of what to do next.

Well, whatever he was contemplating, he did it anyway.

Within a matter of seconds, James smoothly slipped his wand out of his pocket and waved it over a shining, silver spoon. It morphed into a beautiful flower.

A lily, heavenly white dusted with deep pink, a spatter of sunny yellow springing from its center, now laid on the napkin.

"There, that's why April twenty-seventh's Lily Day," he declared cheerily. "First lily of the year."

He gently picked it up by its firm stem and placed it in Lily's book. "For you," he murmured quietly, shyly, acting totally out of character. "Happy Lily Day."

Lily glanced up at him, a strange expression on her face to compliment the strange feeling rising from her stomach. He gave her a hesitant smile…

Dorcas rolled her eyes as Marlene tried very, very hard not to smile goofily, or laugh out loud and clap Lily upside the head for her own stubbornness.

Before Lily could say or do anything else, James grabbed another steaming breakfast roll, swung his book bag over his shoulder, and spun on his heel, hailing Sirius and Peter, who were seated down the Gryffindor table.

Lily followed the sauntering boy with her eyes before looking down at her lap again, at the exquisite flower. A funny little feeling was brewing in her stomach region, almost giddy. Bubbly giddy, like a child's clear and ringing laugh.

She felt like laughing.

Because maybe today she wouldn't think of him as a bigheaded git or a pratty prankster anymore. Maybe she would see him for the boy who's just willing to please, who's just willing to risk, who's just willing to laugh and live and maybe…

Maybe even love.

Lily tucked the flower behind her ear, trying a bit to suppress her smile, maybe even trying to hide it with a gulp of orange juice.

_Happy Lily Day, indeed._

**Finis**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Apologies for the terribly abrupt ending. It does seem kind of…cut off, doesn't it? Well, please review and tell me what you think! Criticism welcome.

.mische.


End file.
